More Thanksgiving Videos

Feeling stuffed? Like you can't eat another bite?

Time for dessert: cute Adelin Thanksgiving videos!

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving weekend and we're spending it at my mom's house where all the kids are home for the first time in a long time. Adelin met two more Uncles, Chris and Tim, and her other Aunt, Renee. Baby's first Thanksgiving! She seemed pretty overwhelmed... and happy! Lots of squealing.

She also had another major landmark - she tried rice cereal for the first time. She seemed dubious, but it was pretty entertaining.

She sat on her little Bumbo seat for part of the meal, but then she became fussy so we played the up and down, tag team parenting game that we've become so good at.

Adelin on Video! 7

Flying baby!

She laughs more when Matt does it.

Adelin Wrestles A Bear

Adelin has two teddy bears that she loves to wrestle - one at Nana and Grandpa's house, and a blue one that was given to her by her cousin Blue (by way of Aunt Marilyn) that she flips out over here at home.

The evidence:



and

Happy Birthday Mommy

Today is my mother's birthday. A year ago today, I took a pregnancy test and found out that I was pregnant. There is a certain poetry in that.


My mom came up last week to visit Adelin and arrived just in time to witness her granddaughter figuring out one of her favorite toys, an elephant that makes sounds when you spin a wheel in its belly. Watching Adelin realize that she could make the elephant sing to her was like winning the lottery.

Which was kind of like how I felt a year ago today.

Happy Birthday, Mommy.

Two Week Hiatus/Adelin on Video! 7

I know it's been a while. I took a two week hiatus from the blog, because every once in a while you just have to do stuff like that.
In the past two weeks, I've just been working part time in the news, full time as a mom, and getting very little sleep. Tomorrow I'm planning on talking to my boss about the future, so I'll discuss that more in a future entry.
This past weekend, we were lucky to have not only Marky and Matthew in to visit, but Matthew's parents came up from Massachusetts as well. I'll post some pictures from that in a separate post.
Yes, it's been a busy two weeks, but I'm still wondering where the time all goes. But I'm really back now, with a backlog of videos that I'm going to spool out over the next week.

First up, Adelin takes to her feet for a little pretty baby shuffle:


Our little girl loves to dance, and loves music. She is amazing.

Not A Good Night

When we lived in New York, one of the worst times we had there,
believe it or not, was when the Giants beat the Pats in the superbowl.
I know it's just football, but it made it very clear to us that we
were outsiders, and motivated our return to New England.
Well, last night was kind of like that, but way worse.
For election night I was assigned to the Yes On 1 Campaign. They were
waiting out election results at the Eastland hotel, which is right
near the station. First off, I wasn't thrilled to be given that
assignment. Originally I was told I would be at No On 1, and I was
psyched. But somehow it got switched, so I was faced with my first big
test of journalistic neutrality. Not that I really consider myself a
journalist. But I accepted the challenge, not seeing another choice,
though thinking about it now, maybe I should have just refused
altogether. Because I don't feel good at all about how well I was able
to mask my true feelings, or how good a job I did getting interviews
first, working the room or supporting my talent. I just feel sick.
All the people in that Yes On 1 room were wrong. Many of them were
pretty creepy. But some of them weren't, which was perhaps harder to
deal with. Some of them were good people, who had built up a
philosophy about what they were doing that made perfect sense when you
listened to it, but at the end of the day was just cleverly packaged
bigotry. I wanted to talk to them for real, try to give them a new
perspective, but in my fabulous role as field producer I couldn't. Not
that I think I could have changed any minds, but probably anything
would have felt better than what I was doing.
Which was talking to them, listening to them talk, tracking down the
people who had something to say on camera and just walking around the
room, getting a sense of the mood, who people were and what was
happening. As the night progressed, that got more and more disturbing
as the numbers continued to go in their favor.
And then as a final treat, I had to sit there and watch them win,
keeping a blank expression on my face. The worst part was the
smugness, the little dances of glee, the cheers and subtle digs at the
other side. (read:"gay side"). Or maybe the worst was when one of the
Campaign Managers got up and said they were doing this for the
children, who need BOTH a Mommy AND a Daddy. "This is about Mommies
and Daddies, and what's right," he said. Yah, that was probably the
worst moment.
It went late, since results were still tight even after a midnight
hit, but I was mercifully able to leave early and so I just came home
and cried. Because most of all, I'm sad that we lost. I'm sad for
Maine and I'm sad for my daughter.
I'm sad and I feel like I failed. Because this IS about the children,
about my children, my sweet little hope and change baby who I brought
into this world, with all the best intentions and promises in my
heart. Who should be able to grow up and be loved, whoever she is, and
be able to love whoever she wants. And have that love be equal to any
other love.
After I finished my sad sack routine, Matt said, "let's go up and look
at her." and we did, and she opened her eyes and smiled. And we both
told her that we'd keep doing everything we could to try to make the
world a good place for her, no matter who she wants to be when she
grows up. That we loved her and we'd support her because she's our
perfect, smart wonderful princess.

And she said "Gah!"

One Of Those Moments

Where I look over at my daughter and think, oh man, she is so perfect
and sweet. Life is wonderful.

Baby's First Halloween

I was so happy when my friend Lindsay invited us to spend Halloween with her and Kieran, since I wanted to see kids dressed up. I mean, it's the reason for the season, right? Plus I wanted to show off Adelin's not one but TWO costumes.
We went to Claire and Ken's first so that they could get a good look at their adorable granddaughter in both her get-ups. Then once Adelin got up from her nap, we were off to Lindsay's house where we hung out for a bit while Kieran got into his baseball player outfit, and then we walked over to a nearby park which was the staging grounds for a little Halloween parade. Lindsay's husband Dan also brought their dog Lucy so we were quite the posse.

There were tons of kids there in their costumes, and parents as well both dressed up and not. I think Adelin had the best costume for a baby, except for maybe this one peacock that was really adorable.
It was pretty wild, with all the kids running around. We walked through a little circuit of Falmouth that ended at the general store that's at the end of Claire and Ken's street. Next time they'll have to come with us and get an eyeful of cutieness. Plus next year Adelin will probably walk at least part of it herself (!)
After the parade, half of which Adelin slept through, we went back to Lindsay's house and hung out with them for a bit while they answered the door to a bajillion trick or treaters. I have to say, I'm jealous that they get so many but I can see how it might get kind of tiring getting up again and again for the doorbell. I was happy that I got to answer the door a few times and see some seriously cute kids dressed up. The best was this one little guy wearing a homemade robot suit. He could barely lift his legs to get up the stairs, they were so burdened down with his costume. He was so cute though, wanted to do it himself! I was tempted to give him two pieces of candy rather than the rationed 1 but I held back.
We left after a little bit so that we could get our little monkey home and into bed, but it was a great first Halloween and Lindsay, Dan and Kieran were gracious hosts.

Happy Halloween!